On occasion, I can tell a restaurant is good by how it sounds. During the first bite of my Chicago Dog at Zacky’s Hot Dogs, I overheard the man at the next table telling owner Zack Darring this story:

“So…there was this guy walking down the street with a 3 legged pig. Curious, I couldn’t pass him by without finding out about the pig.”

The guy says, “This is one of the most amazing pigs I’ve ever owned.”

“Oh yeah,” I say, “why’s that?”

“Last month this pig saved my son from drowning in a lake. He dove into the water, hoisted my boy on his back, and swam to shore.”

“That is amazing,” I agreed.

“That’s not all,” the man continued, “My cousin wouldn’t be alive today if it wasn’t for this pig. When my cousin had a heart attack the pig called 911 and gave him CPR while we waited for the paramedics.”

“That really is an incredible pig,” I said, “but why does he have three legs?”

“Well, with a pig this special, I can’t just eat him all at once.”

By the punch line, patrons within earshot gave a collective chuckle. There was genuine bonding going on: we all laughed, ate hot dogs, and exchanged amused glances. Witnessing the neighborhood business mojo made me want to hang out at Zacky’s more often. You’ll want to hang out at Zacky’s too. It’s a friendly family owned business that serves up, among other favorites, the identical twin of the Chicago Dog called, that’s right, the Chicago Dog. You could stand in line at Wrigley Field and wait for your dog to be anonymously assembled or if you’re in Carmel, you can have Darring and family cook one up especially for you.

A short lunch break prevented me from sampling other items on the menu like the Indy Blue Dog or the B.L.T Dog. Really, it’s ok; I’ll be back. After all, they had me at “there was this guy…”

Have you encountered a local establishment that keeps you coming back?